February, 2012 Archives

We at Lefort admit we are slothful and so are happy to occasionally sit back, take a listen and ride the coattails of others. So it is that we welcome guest blogger, Derp, to Lefort. Take it away then, Derp.

Derp

You know, Lefort, your coverage of indie, country, soul, punk, reggae (wait, where’s that anyway?), jazz and traditional rock is all fine and good, but where are the electro sounds? You’re failing to cover the most exciting genre happening in music today, a genre which appeals to both the young and the old (that would be you, monsieur). I can help with that. Let’s start with some of the most accessible artists and tracks in the genre, and then we can get into some more challenging material in due time.

Without further adieu, first check out Austrian artist, Parov Stelar. The stellar Stelar uses swing music as his foundation and then layers onto it modern dance and/or electro beats for a combo that is unique and addictingly enjoyable. The result is the sub-genre, “Electroswing.” Check out Catgroove below, which is quintessential Stelar that employs a jazzy swing number, with a driving beat above and below it, and a resulting modern dance feel. You and your readers will also likely enjoy the inventive solo dancing by “Forythe” in the accompanying video. Afterwards, check out Stelar’s Chambermaid Swing.

Next up is Berlin’s Robot Koch. First check out recently-released Nitesky, with its lyrics and melancholy sound. John LaMonica’s vocals complement the tone of the song perfectly. The song may remind your readers of The Antlers and their album, Hospice, with its mournful sounds. But Nitesky is less depressing and, instead of causing me to think about death, reminds me of people naturally coming and going from one’s life. Listen in at 2:03, when Robot Koch drops in a marching beat and causes my foot to start tapping and my head nodding along in agreement. Nitesky is found on Robot Koch’s album, The Other Side.

After Nitesky, check out Robot Koch’s Hard to Find. Hard to Find has a sort of lurching, marching beat that feels like it could be the background music to a great car chase or perhaps a scene of a lion chasing down and mauling a gazelle–something primal and vicious, but managing to be beautiful in the process. If you like what you hear, go over to Sound Cloud in the embed below the video and check out more Robot Koch.

Next up check out the song, We Can Make the World Stop, which is a “glitch” track by the aptly named LA group, Glitch Mob. Glitch Mob is well known for songs such as Animus Vox, Drive It Like You Stole It, and Between Two Points, but this song adds some great aggression to the electronic sound. Afterwards check out Animus Vox.

Moving on to some more adventurous and challenging sounds, check out LA’s Flying Lotus and their song Do the Astral Plane. This song is just a straight up dance jam. The ratchety, clicky-clack beat is topped with a smooth sampling of violins and bass. Fun to listen to and impossible not to move something to it. Flying Lotus has more challenging and rewarding material to dive into, but this is a good intro to one of the most talented artists in the genre.

I’ll be back to bring you more electronic in the near future. Until then. Derp.

Comments Off on New Plants and Animals Album “The End of That” Streaming at Paste

We lovedPlants and Animals’ last album, “La La Land,” with its riffs and sonorities and connections to the Central Coast (specifically the Kon Tiki Inn in Pismo Beach). Now comes their new album, “The End of That,” to be released next week. Recorded in a French mansion, The End of That began with the band coming into the session with the material already written (as opposed to their former sprawling, in-the-studio songwriting process). As a result of that or the mansion, we hear a more intimate sound with added piano and plenty of acoustic guitar, but with plenty of the band’s multi-part rockers.

M. Ward has just released the “video” below for the first single from his forthcoming album, A Wasteland Companion, out April 10 on Merge Records, Bella Union, Spunk. Ward also plays Soho in Santa Barbara on April 14th. You can pre-order the new album HERE.

Busy times at Radio K. Two up-and-coming acts recently performed in Studio K. First check out Swedish sister duo, First Aid Kit, performing their song Hard Believer. And then check out Brits Wild Beast performing unplugged their Best of 2011 song Loop the Loop first on Radio K, and then after an alternative (and possibly more compelling) take at WNYC.

We meandered down to Muddy Waters at the last minute on Friday and were rewarded with a pleasant surprise and some promise. The surprise was catching Evan Koga’s opening set. Koga was last seen at Muddy Waters and Soho in the up-and-coming LA band, Chief, which has unfortunately disbanded. With his forceful Dylan/Pettyisms and deft electric guitar jangle and playing, Koga continues to show great potential. Evan told us he’s putting the finishing touches on an EP, which should be released near-term. We look forward to it.

The promise of the evening was shown by LA band, Milo Greene. As you can see in the video below of them performing their popular song, 1957, this green young band crafts interesting songs and delivers them with energetic aplomb. They will have to take care not to become too “slick” in the future, but if they keep evolving and progressing as songwriters and performers, resist the mainstream and manage to eclipse their influences, they will have a bright future ahead of them. After 1957 check the band performing the set-closer at Muddy, a great and driving cover of Sufjan Stevens’ majestic Chicago. And after, check out the band performing an unplugged set for NPR.

Nada Surf recently performed “unplugged” for KEXP at the Triple Door in Seattle, and KEXP has just released TEN VIDEOS. Check out Always Love below and then go over and check out the other nine videos at the KEXP Blog HERE.

Congrats to Bon Iver for taking home a couple of “unwanted” Grammy awards last weekend. In the aftermath, three great new video sessions have been released/re-released this week, the first two of which should sate those fans who have missed the smaller, more intimate “cabin-sounds” of the band’s 2008 album, For Emma, Forever Ago.

The first release is a 4AD Session at AIR Studios, with stripped-down, intimate versions of the songs performed just by Justin Vernon and the criminally underrated Sean Carey (known on his fine 2010 solo album as S. Carey). Check out the duet as they perform the following songs: Hinnom, TX; Wash.; Bonnie Raitt’s I Can’t Make You Love Me; Babys; and a far-preferred version of Beth/Rest. At times the influence of George Winston is unmistakeable. Afterward check out La Blogotheque’s just re-released sessions with “Bonnie Bear” in June 2008 HERE. Finally, at bottom check out a jam session with Justin Vernon and The Roots on the song Perth on the Jimmy Fallon Show.

Thanks to our Seattle friends who passed along the good work being done this week on behalf of Seattle’s Damien Jurado by Andrew Mattson of the Seattle Times. In honor of Jurado and the issuance next week of Jurado’s new album, Mariqopa, Mattson has posted the Jurado Covers, a collection of Jurado’s songs covered by Seattle musicians, all as made available by Jurado’s wife, Sarah. Click on the links below and check out (and download) four great covers of Jurado songs, varying from the clean production of Jeremy Enigk (Sunny Day Real Estate), and the appropriately plaintive and harmonious deliveries of Al James (Dolorean) and Jon Russell (The Head and the Heart). But our pick of the four is the powerful cover of comparatively unknown I Am the Greatest Of All Liars by Pickwick (about which we’ve written before). And then after checking the covers, check out Jurado’s stirring performance (at the Seattle Times’ “press room”) of a new song (Museum of Flight) off of the new Mariqopa. As we wrote recently, you can currently stream Mariqopa over at the AV Club. You can also see Jurado perform four other songs off of Mariqopa for the Seattle Times HERE.

One of our other most-anticipated albums of early 2012 has been Sharon Van Etten’s Serpent. It’s out now and doesn’t disappoint. Pick it up now on Jagjaguwar. In the meantime, coinciding with the start of her international tour, La Blogothèque has captured Van Etten in a phenomenal Take Away Show. Filmed in early 2012 in Paris (natch),Van Etten gives a powerful intimate performance on acoustic guitar and joined only by Heather Woods Broderick. We hereby offer Chez Lefort for your next House Concert Sharon! Van Etten is developing into one of our best. Check it out and catch her show on March 20th at the Avalon in LA.

Our apologies. We were remiss yesterday. In case you haven’t seen it, below is one of the best music videos for Valentines Day. Check out Seattle’s We Are Augustines’ official video (released on Valentines Day 2011) for their Chapel Song off of their fine 2011 album, Rise Ye Sunken Ships. The greatest of these is love….